Christ-centered thoughts and studies

Devotional: ‘Caught in a Scam’

“Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman. When he returned, he said to his father and mother, ‘I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife.’ ” (Judges 14:1-2)

I am amazed at the number of people who fall for scams. Recently I heard a story on the evening news that reported that it’s not just the elderly, it also happens to those who are much younger and should know better. The enticement to get something for nothing lures many of us in and before we know it, we’ve given our hard-earned money away to swindlers.

Few individuals have ever been scammed more than Samson. Think about it:

He was blessed with parents who talked with God
He was chosen by God for special purposes
He possessed the strength of ten men
And he could have been forever recorded in scripture as one of the greatest men who ever lived…

And yet Samson allowed himself to be scammed out of it all! Wine, women and song turned a mighty man into a slave.

All of us are susceptible to being scammed. The Bible warns us, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith…” (1 Peter 5:8-9)

Scripture says that Satan is always stalking us, looking for a way to enter into our lives and destroy us. For some, he uses sinful vices such as lust and greed. For others he uses gossip and a loose tongue. And then for others he uses doubt and fear. Regardless of what device he uses, Satan’s intent is to scam us out of our relationship with God. Though he is not able to take from us our salvation, he can cause us to become weak and ineffective.

Whenever I hear of someone being caught in a scam I want to shake them and say, “What in the world were you thinking? Couldn’t you see that it was only a scam?” Yet when I think of how easy it is sometimes for Satan to scam me out of a close relationship with God, I want to shake myself.

I leave you today with this prayer of the Apostle Paul –

I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17-19)